In order to graduate in December I have to take thermo over the summer. I am a Construction Engineering and Management Major if that matters. Due to my internship I have to take this at 8am one summer session or the other. These are my two options for teachers though I am currently wait listed in Lyons section.

Any input on either professor would be great.
Thanks guys

4/29/2008 10:35:50 AM

Boles is lots of HW but if you do it you will do well in the class and actually learn the stuff

4/29/2008 11:03:54 AM

Boles

He wrote the book and he teaches it very well. He's straightforward on grading, but be sure you follow his solution method and don't forget units and sketches and things.

I had him last summer for thermo I and he offered us a deal where we could skip the final if we were happy with our grade at that point. I got the impression that he usually does this in the summer. I believe we had two tests (might have been 3) and a homework each week.

4/29/2008 11:07:14 AM

Thanks for the input so far. Something else I wanted to mention is I am going to be working full time 40+ hours a week.

4/29/2008 11:30:31 AM

^ Sounds like a fun summer.

It'll be worth it when you're out of school in January.

4/29/2008 11:36:49 AM

boles

4/29/2008 12:53:52 PM

dude, Lyon's all the way. you won't really learn a lot, but he is easy as hell.

you have homework, but he doesnt really grade them, just makes sure you did it (you don't even have to do all the problems), and then puts a check on it

he grades tests easy as hell. I've seen tests with completely different answers, and all were counted right.

he says he only accepts certain calculators, but he really doesn't care/check

I'm CE, and I had him last semester. Easy as hell.

4/29/2008 2:07:44 PM

this may be the only time id recommend someone to take the easy route instead of boles. Boles is obviously a much better teacher, but seeing how you are in construction you will probably only be taking thermo I in which case it is probably easier for you to take lyons for the easy course rather than Boles to learn.

4/29/2008 2:13:03 PM

^bingo

lyons all the way

4/29/2008 2:19:52 PM

ok so since I am number 4 on wait list for Lyons is you think my best bet would be to email him and ask if there is anyway to be added to his section? Or is this something I have to go and talk to someone in the MAE department?

4/29/2008 5:55:06 PM

I'd talk to Cheryl Heeter in Broughton, the normal advisor for ME's (and maybe AE's?) but she should be able to tell you. Since it's not your *last* session before graduation they may not be very tempted to just let you in, especially since you're not ME to begin with. Willing to bet if you just go to class, though, there'll be an open spot by the time it starts and you can register.

4/29/2008 6:48:05 PM

heeter told me the only way to be added to a full section was to get the instructor's permission and have him send an email to heeter, then she could do it.

4/29/2008 6:56:59 PM

^^that would be fine and all if it wasn't for the fact that Lyons teaches SS II and if I can't get in I need to take it SS I so I can graduate in December. I have classes during all 3 times in the Fall.

^Thanks I will do that

4/29/2008 9:32:31 PM

no need to take boles for thermo 1 unless you're taking thermo 2

4/30/2008 2:10:20 AM

What's going on Jared, hope the CSC112 kids aren't being too much trouble without me around.

I had Lyons for thermo I (Autumn 04) and I gotta say he was a lot easier than I expected from an MAE professor. He has a very monotone voice which easily put me to sleep in class. He was pretty lenient with grading though, I remember one time on a test I put something down because of the way I read the problem and he counted it wrong. I went and talked to him in office hours though and after I explained how I read the problem he gave me the points back, so he is at least a decent guy and will listen to you if you need him to.

4/30/2008 9:19:12 AM

I was about to take Boles class once. But he was doing some distance lecture think for UNC Asheville too and I was just completely put off by that. Took some old German guy instead.

4/30/2008 11:57:28 AM

i took Boles while he was doing the distance ed thing, it didnt change anything on the NC State end whatsoever.

4/30/2008 12:41:13 PM

I'm just not a fan of not being able to ask questions in class, being turned away if you try to enter the classroom at any point under any circumstances after it's started, and having this TV of people a 4 hour drive away who break off to collaborate without us and get assistance learning the stuff from the TA there - more than what it seems like could be said for our side.

Just my one time impression.

4/30/2008 1:01:24 PM

well we could ask questions in our class as long as he got through his lecture, which never seemed like a problem. I think the only thing was cell phones (duh) and the door, but I dont remember how strict he was on the door with us that semester.

4/30/2008 1:19:36 PM

yeah, he is probably a better teacher than the guy I took.

For thermo, you should probably be pretty prepared to read/study well either way.

4/30/2008 9:49:57 PM

Boles knows his thermo shit. I definitely learned what thermodynamics is through him. The only downside is that he's an ass and he grades like a mofo. I thought he was harsh when it came to grading tests.

Lyons on the other hand, knows his crap as well but very monotoned and there is just no point in coming to class cuz you just fall asleep all the time. If you do his HW's and understand it then I guess you're good to go.

4/30/2008 10:53:39 PM

dang, I'm not sure what the lesser of two evils is there...

5/1/2008 8:57:21 AM

boles

5/1/2008 11:33:34 AM

I didn't think Boles was an ass. He just doesn't put up with any bullshit.

He is actually a pretty nice guy if he gets to know your name and can see you actually care about learning the material. If you take him don't be late to class, pay attention, and never have your cell phone turned on. If you do that, you'll be fine. I actually thought it was a very good class.

5/1/2008 4:32:17 PM

ok, lyons i sucked at, but if you want a class with just tests take it. I think my reasoning is that i didn't cheat. He leaved all of his tests and just went to his office. Looking around it seemed as if a group test was being taken.

5/1/2008 6:33:15 PM

So essentially, take Boles if you wanna actually learn it.

Take Lyons if you wanna squeeze by.

5/2/2008 9:15:45 AM

yep. and since this guy isnt in ME and will not take thermo II hes probably better off taking the easy route (considering hes working 40 hours a week too)

5/2/2008 10:27:53 AM

Sent Lyons an email to try to get into his section. We will see how that goes.

Thanks everyone who made suggestions

[Edited on May 3, 2008 at 8:43 PM. Reason : ,]

5/3/2008 8:43:21 PM

So it looks like I wont be able to get into Lyons second summer session so my question is Boles for 5 weeks during the summer or Lyons for 15 during the Fall semester. This is the only Thermo class I have to take and I will not need it for anything else.

5/7/2008 7:58:16 PM

misread that -

boles in 5 weeks would be challenging and a lot of work, but doable. If it were me, I wouldn't take him in the summer, of course, I didn't take any challenging/somewhat challenging/engineering related courses in the summer just in case

lyons in 15 is what I'd do (and did). he is so much easier, just don't expect to have a good grasp on thermo concepts at the end of the semester. HW's are easy, tests are easy, he will rape you on the final, but he'll curve it.

Personal experience - I had an 'A' going into the final, and the max number of points I could have gotten on the final was 60/100 (skipped a few problems because I had no clue), assuming I did everything else right, which I doubt. In the end, I still had an A for the course.

Now if you actually pay attention and really try to learn it, then you'll do better than I did.



[Edited on May 8, 2008 at 6:05 AM. Reason : .]

5/8/2008 5:58:49 AM

I think thermo 1 is more getting the concept than hard work - I took thermo 1 first summer session with boles last year and then dynamics second summer session, and dynamics was a hell of a lot of work, especially compared to thermo.

I'd take it during the semester though. Being able to work hard at your internship is probably the most valuable thing you can do for yourself.

5/8/2008 4:39:55 PM

Boles is one of the best professors in MAE ... don't skip him

5/8/2008 4:47:35 PM

if you wanna take a class with a real professor, take boles. that is all.

5/13/2008 1:47:03 AM

how does that major differ from Civil Engineering?

5/13/2008 11:47:49 AM

^what do you mean?

5/13/2008 2:01:10 PM

mechanical engineers build weapons. civil engineers build targets

seriously though, civil is about structural design, etc. mechanical is much more broad. and most will argue harder.

5/13/2008 5:21:48 PM

I signed up for boles' section too. I need this class for my techincal elective and I also need an 8am one cause i have to go to work

5/14/2008 10:51:18 AM

I took Boles for MAE 301 and 302, it was a lot of work, but i learned a lot. If you put in the time and actually do the homework instead of copying the solutions manual, you'll do fine in the class

5/14/2008 4:20:32 PM

Quote :

"civil is about structural design"

Umm.....no

but
Class : Freshman
Major : Mechanical Engineering

Kinda explains your statement

5/14/2008 6:52:40 PM

Anybody have Lyons old tests? I've heard he doesn't change them much, is this true?

5/14/2008 7:21:42 PM

i liked lyons. if you give a damn, he gives a damn about you.

5/14/2008 7:31:58 PM

actually i'm a senior.

5/14/2008 9:11:21 PM

yeah I was about to say, he's not that far off.

5/15/2008 7:27:20 AM

No, I'm pretty sure Civil Engineering encompasses more topics than just structural design.

5/15/2008 6:18:24 PM

hence i added "etc."

maybe you should just give us your definition.

5/16/2008 12:05:30 AM

THIS KID DOESN'T NEED BOLES. WHY WORK HARDER WHEN YOU CAN WORK SMARTER? Take Lyons.

and as for:

Quote :

"civil is about structural design, etc. mechanical is much more broad. and most will argue harder."

ahahhaha, that is the most incorrect statement I've ever seen.

strucutures, geotechincal, water resources, groundwater, stormwater, surveying, site planning, environmental, landscape planning, transportation.

is that enough? Only one of those is "structural" design.

5/16/2008 6:07:49 AM

while it was a misleading statement, i find it hard to believe that it is the most incorrect statement youve ever seen

I have respect for all the engineering disciplines equally (ok except industrial ) so I dont mean this in a bad way, but ME is definitely more broad in scope and industry than CE. Obviously most people focus on one small niche of ME when they get out but ME is by far the broadest of all the engineering disciplines which is both a good and bad thing at the same time in school.

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 8:15 AM. Reason : ]

5/16/2008 8:13:14 AM

I don't think either of us was trying to downplay mechanical's broadness as much as we were just taken back by the shear stupidity of the statement. It really made sense to me for a freshman in mechanical to say such a thing. I'm not sure what a seniors excuse could be about being so clueless as to what other majors in engineering entails.

5/17/2008 12:38:23 AM

shear stupidity eh? just tell me, is structural design a part of civil engineering or isn't it? i'm almost 100% certain it is. i'm deeply sorry i didn't take the time to write out every single thing you could possibly do in civil.

i mean, me saying that is the equivalent to someone saying ME is about designing engines. Is it a correct statement? yes. does it accurately describe ME? hell no.

i really wasn't trying to piss you off. i don't feel like it was that stupid of a statment though.

5/17/2008 8:41:51 PM

but you said,

Quote :

"civil is about structural design, etc. mechanical is much more broad."

I don't think you can argue which is more broad. They're both very broad. And while structural design is civil engineering, the way you made the statement made it seem as if you were saying CE is not a broad field, and is really only known for structural design.

You can break up the subfields in each field as much as you want, they're still both very broad, and I don't think you can say which is more broad. People, such as you, assume your field is the most broad because your perspective is in that field. Most ME's say ME is more broad while most CE's say CE is more broad.

5/18/2008 10:47:37 AM